There is no difference in PFS or OS between the arms with reduced treatment

There may be a reduced toxicity with less chemotherapy. It is logical that the same will be true for reduced radiation, though it could not be proven from this data

Clinical/Scientific Implications

HL is usually readily curable, though the toxicity of therapy can be detrimental in these young patients. It appears that ABVDx2 cycles is as efficacious to 4 cycles and that 20 Gy is equivalent to 30 Gy. However, with a median follow up of just over two years, this cannot be accepted as standard just yet. What may be most interesting is that this study serves as the impetus for the German group's next study, which is using PET scans after treatment to dictate further treatment. Using functional imaging such as this may lead to the individual treatment design that has long been awaited in HL.

Dec 9, 2014 - In a small new trial, a form of treatment based on the body's immune system appears to be helping patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma for whom other treatments have failed. The study was published online Dec. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with its expected presentation on Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, held from Dec. 6 to 9 in San Francisco.